The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-24
FACES FOR THE STAGE.

FACES FOR THE STAGE.
! Behind the scenes Of theatre is
not an interesting place, usually,
and its ina'cess; ;bllity is goo,}
thing Id preserving the air of my
stery and ideality So essentisl TO
stage work. But on the occasion bf
! the C0uldocA benefit the actors en-
ployCd were so famous, and the
rules so relaxed, that Il mJlerGle
company keenlY enjoyed tie meet
ing Of Edwin Booth, Lawrence Bar
ret, John Gilbert, Joscrh JeTeIOn,
| e. ". .Couldock and ii number of les
Sc: dramatic persOnagro. Mach q
their talk was commonplace Of
course, out at length somebody poke
nf an account, published that morn.
! Ing, Of Richard tfansirld's attempt
/ 10 REPRESENT tie ch,l character Of
DR.. J,kvli aHH Mr. Hyde. Tno
former is a good and rUtund Inda IN
the story, YOU will remember. with a
! be nevolent sort Of face, while the
latter Is a wizeneh s.oHndrel, with
an ugly, evil visagc. 1t @a5 said
7 I.,o. Lad undertaken to
show the cUntrasted faces by means
Of contortion alteFhqtcd With calm
blacidit}, IN the st5dg Of the stage
he had "mueged it," Mr.. Booth re
marked: II remember that my
father always urged actors Of 'char
acter' parts to rely as little as pos~
s;ble on make up and to practice
the right expression 5y an artistic
control of the muscles of the face,
even wien the expression was one
| which had TO be steadily maintained
,hroug hout the play, He d d so very
Aenerally himself. AS Sir Giles
t 0yerreach lie did not line his face at
all and abodt the Gully paint he
used was for the production Of the
Il, sred compile xion-not for expires
sion.'
THAT is good art, certainly" said
! Mr.. jefferson, who stood there In the
guise 81 Bob Acres, ready to appear
| in The Rival-,' 'hut when you
play ju> eniles at my age it is the
/ Ohliteratiun of lines, not the making
OF false ones, that requires the brush.
| Speaking of your fathers idea,
though, reminds me Of an actor in
| his company WHO found it extremely
difficult to obey the rule. He could
put his mobile face into the correct
grimace ut the outset, before the
glass in the dressing room, but could
rot hold it persistently. He woLld
! be a most atrociOus VILLAIN at tirsu
sight, but when the audience got
well acquainted with him, and To l
action of the drama required him to
Get wickeder end wiChcder. his face
would steadily smooth out, Many
q time YOUR father sGolded him tur
this, and st last permitted him to
paint on the necessary liLes.'
NV experience has beCn singular,
said Mr. Gilbert. Il began to play
old men right from the commence
nent of my career, and, being lOy>
ish then had % paint my face for
age very thoroughly. [ am no"
made up for Sir Peter Teazle, as ycu
see but alack the wrinkles are al
natural. One after another, during
about half a century. | have left of
the artificial lines, until at last
have caught UP with my stage age
Mr.. Barrett told about an actre.>
whom he would not name, "Ra'
she had pretty as we'll as mobile
face" he SAID, "and that is com
bination not often found. Strong
expression does not commonly &c
with lovely features. However, i
was so in this instance. The lad,
pride1 herself a deal on her facia
dehneation but she had the same
ditf4ruIty mentioned bV Mr. ROOth-
she couldn't be sure of just what sh
was looking like when away from
her glass. So she always had tin,